Taytum's POV
We have dance after gym today. We don't have a cheerleading squad, it's a dance squad. After gym The girls who have dance practice jump into the showers. I hurry because I know I have to catch Chance. Once I'm out I get into my dance practice clothes. Most of the time we practice outside. I have a pair of very short black shorts in white letters on the butt of the shorts it says dance. The matching tank top is white with black letters on the chest that say dance.
"I'll be right back," I tell Chapin. I run from the gym. I see Chance walking out the front doors but he is a ways ahead of me. One of us has to break the ice and it's probably going to have to be me. Chance doesn't seem like a 'bury the hatchet' kind of guy. He begins to open his car door when I reach him. I push his door shut. He turns around and looks at me in surprise. He now has his back against his car door.
My chest is pressed against his. My chest is rising and falling quickly. "What?" He starts but I hold up a finger to stop him.
"Let me catch my breath," I manage to get out. He waits as I take a step back. "Sorry," I mutter. "Okay look," I start. My chest still rising and falling from breathing erratically. "I'm so sorry about your car, okay? And I know it kind of sucks that you got partnered with the girl who hit your car, but we have to do this. Can we please just start over? I really want to get a good grade on this."
My breathing is finally slowing, but my heart rate picks up when he steps closer to me. He pulls a pen from his pocket and grabs my hand. I gasp slightly at his touch. It feels like an electric current which makes my heart beat faster. He writes something in the palm of my hand. I'm assuming it's his number. "There," He mutters. "Just call me and we'll meet or something."
His gaze trails my body before he turns and gets into his car. I stare after him in a complete daze until I hear my name. "Tay!" I turn back to see who'd called for me. It's Chapin. She waves her hand as if to gesture me to hurry. I sigh and jog back to the front doors of the school. I quickly write his number on a piece of paper before shoving it into my backpack and heading out of the locker room.
The entire team is waiting for me. "Sorry," I say. Mary gives me a stern look. She is definitely getting tired of me. Lately, I've been missing classes and she caught me smoking a couple of weeks ago. I had lied to her and promised to quit.
The dance moves are not easy at all. We have a football game in a couple of days. Once practice is over we hit the showers again. This time I get dressed back into my jeans and pink crop top. When I get home I decide to text Chance.
Me: Can we meet tonight?
Chance: You'd have to come to my place.
Me: How come?
Chance: I have a little sister and my dad is gone.
Me: Oh, sure. Just text me the address.
The address Chance texts me leaves me to believe he lives out of the city. I sigh and grab my car keys heading back for the garage. Once in my car, I put the address into google maps. It's definitely in the country.
My google maps alert me that I'm a thousand feet from his driveway. I slow my car down and turn right into the gravel drive. The drive is aligned with tall thick trees. His driveway is about a half a mile long. There is finally a break in the trees.
His house comes into view. It's not really big, it's a ranch styled one-story house. It's still kind of breathtaking though. It's made of all red brick. It has a massive window in the front. I'm guessing that is the living room window. It has a 2 car garage attached. I park behind his car and jump out. I walk up the sidewalk to the front door. I ring the doorbell once. There is no answer so I ring it again.
Still there is no answer so I give up and knock. Maybe to be an asshole he gave me the wrong address. The door suddenly swings open. My gaze meets a pair of blue eyes. The blue eyes are just a little brighter than chances. A little girl with black hair in curly pigtails looks at me curiously. She might be about six or seven years of age. I'm guessing it's his sister. "Who are you?" She asks knitting her eyebrows together.
"Hi," I smile at her. "I'm here to see Chance."
She gives me a once over. She opens the door to let me in. "Are you his girlfriend?" She asks. My jaw drops in surprise.
"Oh um no. Just here to do some homework," I say and clear my throat. I suddenly feel like I can't breathe because of the question she asked.
"Damn it, Emma what did I tell you about answering the door," A deep husky voice growls. We both look up to see Chance pulling a shirt over his wet head. He looks up and realizes it's just me. "Oh, it's you. Damn you got here quick," He mutters.
"Sorry," Emma sighs. She walks over to the couch and plops down. We're standing in a large living room. The house seems bigger inside. The large bay window letting in plenty of light.
"Come on," Chance says gesturing me. To the left is a dining room straight ahead is a double doorless frame. Through the door is a hall and straight across from the living room door is another doorless frame that leads into the kitchen.
Chance sits down at the small table and gestures for me to have a seat. I sit down across from him. I can't help but stare at him. There is something so strange about this boy. Maybe it's the way he carries himself. He seems almost more mature than the other boys in my grade. "You know I really wish you'd let me repay you for the car incident," I say.
"Don't worry about it. We're starting over remember?" He arches a brow.
"Sure," I murmur. "But you still hate me for it," I challenge.
He knits his eyebrows together like he's thinking about it. "I don't know you, how could I hate you?"
I can't really argue with that and I'm not about to. "How are you liking Gallatin?"
"It's different," He murmurs.
"Where are you from?" I ask curiously.
"Tulsa Oklahoma," He says.
"Wow, that is quite a ways. Where are your mom and dad?"
"Mom is dead. Dad is a truck driver he is gone most of the time," He mutters.
"Sorry," I murmur. Now I feel like an ass for even asking. "How long have you been here?"
"Just a couple of weeks. We started school a few days late because we were busy trying to still get settled. Now are you done asking me questions?" He asks coldly.
"Sorry," I mutter and look away.
"So what kind of genre are you thinking?" He asks.
"Um, I'm not sure," I mutter.
"How about..." He trails off. "A mystery?" The look he gives me sends a shiver down my spine.
"Uh, sure," I breathe and look away awkwardly. He grabs a notebook out. I stand up grabbing a chair and sitting closer to him. I watch curiously as he scribbles down idea's onto the paper. He slides it to me so I can finish reading it. "Um, interesting." He chuckles at my reaction. Well, it definitely makes for an interesting story. I wonder where he came up with the idea.